Jack Nicklaus British Open wins: 1966, 1970, 1978 | Golf.com Photo: Peter Robinson Jack Nicklaus won three British Opens in his career. 1966 British Open: Kilt-high grass lined the fairways and the sun baked the greens, but canny Jack Nicklaus persevered to win the 106th British Open By Alfred Wright When Jack Nicklaus approached the 18th green at Muirfield last Saturday afternoon the largest crowd in Scotland's long golfing history let go a roar of acclaim. Instead of responding like the certain winner he seemed to be, Nicklaus gave the appreciative gallery a tentative wave of the hand and a momentary smile, and then lapsed back into a deep frown of concentration. He had only to two-putt from 22 feet to win the 106th British Open, but the 75-year-old Muirfield course had made its impression. All week long it had seemed to submit to one or another of the game's best players, and then had used its knee-high rough and glass-slick greens to nullify their accomplishments.

Cautiously, Nicklaus stroked his first putt to within six inches of the hole. He marked his ball—partly as a courtesy to Phil Rodgers, who putted out, and partly out of real concern about this last shot. When the moment arrived, Nicklaus bent over his minuscule putt, and the only sound to be heard was the far-off atonal argument of sea gulls. He tapped it in, of course, for a two-under-par 282 that defeated Doug Sanders and Dave Thomas by a stroke. Then, and only then, did he let himself believe he had finally won the last major golf title to have eluded him. As the applause soared, his smile grew wider and wider, and he kept raising his arms from his sides, like a sleepy man reluctantly doing his morning exercises. But the fearful concentration that Muirfield had exacted from him was going to take a long time to wear off, for once again an historic British golf course had proved to be an historic test of skill. Complete article 1970 British Open: Despite a putting touch that abandoned him at times, Jack Nicklaus hung on to win his second British Open title last week, conquering Doug Sanders in a playoff and St.

Andrews' Old Course in a breeze By Dan Jenkins Amid the gloomy and yet intoxicating old ruins of the town called St. Andrews and on the golf course that held the first cleat, history and tradition were caned and flogged all last week in a musty thing called the British Open by a cast of modern hustlers and legends. It was as if the Wimpy and the Whippy had come to the Royal and Ancient, along with black-eyed peas and corn bread: as if, for a while, the oldest course were only a stroll through Carnaby Street. While Tony Jacklin shot the heather off the land, Lee Trevino shot down a prime minister. And then while Jack Nicklaus played himself into the immortality of the record books, the lord of night life, Sir Douglas Sanders, played himself back from nowhere and into the hearts of those who savor the three-piece, phone-booth golf swing. It was one of the most thrilling major championships that had been staged in years, one that suffocated in all kinds of atmosphere.

It had overtones of America against the world, elements of the best and worst of shotmaking, ghastly pressure, enormous crowds, a buffet of seaside weather, the purity of British humor, the suspense of overtime — all of these things — until it was mercifully concluded by Jack Nicklaus' rendezvous with history. Complete article 1978 British Open: Jack Nicklaus won his third British Open at what has come to be his native heath, Scotland's Royal and Ancient By Dan Jenkins As long as a man has to go for a walk on a golf course, there is hardly a better place than straight up the last fairway at St. Andrews, where one is surrounded by 500 years of history and embraced by the buildings of the old town itself. It is especially wonderful if you do it the way Jack Nicklaus does. Nicklaus made the walk again last week with 30,000 warmly sentimental Scots creating enough noise to have drowned out the roar of a squall howling in off the North Sea. The scene, in fact, would have made a nice Christmas card for Jack to send out this year.

After all of the crazy things that had gone on for four rounds, involving golfers from a grand assortment of nations, it came down to Nicklaus winning another British Open, another major championship. For those who are counting, it was his third British Open and major victory No. 17, which can now be filed away with the others: the five Masters, the four National PGAs, the three U.S. Opens and the two U.S. Amateurs. Complete article More From the Web 1966 US Open Golf Tournament: Famous Charge, Collapse By Brent Kelley Updated July 10, 2015. The 1966 U.S. Open is where Billy Casper staged one of the greatest come-from-behind wins ever; and where Arnold Palmer suffered one of the biggest collapses. Palmer led Casper by three strokes at the start of the final round. When Palmer and Casper made the turn after nine holes of Round 4, the tournament appeared to be over, and Palmer appeared to be running away with it: Palmer had stretched his lead over Casper to seven strokes. But Palmer, who shot 32 on the front nine , struggled over the back nine, scoring 39.

Meanwhile, Casper caught fire, shooting his own 32 over the back nine . Palmer lost a stroke at the 10th, then another at the 13th. The players halved the 14th, so to speak, which left Palmer with a 5-stroke lead with four holes to play. And Casper completely erased that lead over the next three holes. Palmer gave two back at the 15th, then gave up another two on the 16th. When Palmer bogeyed the 17th, the entire 7-stroke lead was gone. continue reading below our video Greatest Quarterbacks of All Time? Palmer and Casper were tied. They matched scores on the 18th to finish at 278, seven strokes ahead of Jack Nicklaus in third. Casper and Palmer continued on to an 18-hole playoff the following day, and once again Palmer gave up the lead. In the playoff, Palmer led by two strokes at the midway point, but lost six strokes to Casper over the final eight holes. Casper won the playoff 69 to 73. For Casper it was his second win in a U.S.

Open , his 30th victory on the PGA Tour . Palmer was runner-up again at the 1967 U.S. Open , completing a six-year period in which he finished second four times in the U.S. Open. Two-time U.S. Open champion and 40-time PGA Tour winner Cary Middlecoff made his last appearance in this championship this year, withdrawing after the first round. Lee Trevino made his first appearance in a major here, finishing tied for 54th. And Hale Irwin , later a 3-time U.S. Open winner, made his major championship debut in the 1966 U.S. Open, making the cut as an amateur. The most impressive amateur, however, was 19-year-old Johnny Miller . Miller grew up playing the Olympic Club, and his course knowledge - not to mention a game that showed flashes of future brilliance - helped him finish tied for eighth in his major championship debut. 1966 U.S. Open Golf Tournament Scores Results from the 1966 U.S.

Open golf tournament played on the par-70 Lake Course of Olympic Club in San Francisco, California (x-won playoff; a-amateur): x-Billy Casper British Open | golf | Britannica.com British Open Alternative Titles: the Open, the Open Championship Related Topics PGA Championship British Open, officially the Open Championship or the Open, one of the world’s four major golf tournaments—with the Masters Tournament , the U.S. Open , and the Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Championship—and the oldest continually run championship in the sport. Best known outside the United States as the Open Championship or, simply, the Open, it has been held annually (with a few exceptions) on various courses in Scotland , England , and—on one occasion— Northern Ireland since 1860. (For more on the tournament’s name, see Researcher’s Note: British Open? Open Championship? .) Jack Nicklaus competing in the British Open (Open Championship) at the Royal and Ancient Golf Club … Steve Powell—Allsport/Getty Images History The first Open Championship was played on October 17, 1860, at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland.

A field of eight professionals played three rounds of Prestwick’s 12-hole course in one day. Willie Park, Sr., won the inaugural tournament and was presented with the Challenge Belt, a silver-buckled leather belt that each champion was to keep until the following Open. The tournament was opened to amateurs in 1861. In 1863 a purse of £10—which was to be shared among the professionals who finished in second, third, and fourth place—was introduced, and a first-place cash prize of £6 was added in 1864. In 1870 Tom Morris, Jr. , won the Open for the third consecutive time and was thus allowed to keep the Challenge Belt permanently. As there was no award to present to the winner, the Open was not held again until 1872, when it was determined that the winning golfer would receive the Golf Champion Trophy, now commonly known as the Claret Jug. In 1892 the Open became a 72-hole event (four rounds of 18 holes), and in 1898 a cut (reduction of the field) was introduced after the first two rounds of play.

Similar Topics World Cup The Open has always been dominated by professionals, with only six victories by amateurs, all before 1930. The last of those was Bobby Jones ’s third Open, which was part of his celebrated Grand Slam (four major tournament victories in one calendar year). The popularization of golf in the mid-20th century produced a string of noteworthy Open champions, including England’s Sir Henry Cotton (winner in 1934, 1937, and 1948), South Africa’s Bobby Locke (1949–50, 1952, 1957), Australia’s Peter W. Thomson (1954–56, 1958, 1965), and the United States’ Arnold Palmer (1961–62) and Tom Watson (1975, 1977, 1980, 1982–83). Watson’s final win in 1983 ended an era of U.S. domination, during which American golfers won 12 times in 14 years.

For the next 11 years there was only one American winner, with the Claret Jug going to Spain’s Seve Ballesteros , Australia’s Greg Norman , and England’s Nick Faldo, among others. Arnold Palmer. Courtesy, Arnold Palmer Enterprises; photograph, Eiko Oizumi In 1995 the Open became part of the PGA Tour’s official schedule. American John Daly won that year after a play-off with Italy’s Costantino Rocca, beginning another period of American supremacy at the Open in which 10 of the next 13 winners hailed from the United States, including Tiger Woods , who won three championships (2000, 2005–06). Subsequent years saw a number of victories by golfers for whom the Open was their first major tournament triumph, including Paul Lawrie in 1999, David Duval in 2001, Ben Curtis in 2003, and Padraig Harrington in 2007.

American golfer Tiger Woods kissing the Claret Jug after winning the British Open (Open … Leo Mason/Corbis Another notable Open champion is Jack Nicklaus , who won in 1966, 1970, and 1978 and placed in the top five 16 times, including seven second-place finishes. Harry Vardon won the Open six times—more than any other player—and four golfers, including Thomson and Watson, won five championships. South African Gary Player , who won the title in 1968 and 1974, holds the record for the most appearances in the Open, with 46. Harry Vardon. Scientists Ponder Menopause in Killer Whales The Open Championship has always been played on links courses (mostly treeless golf courses that are built along a coast and retain the natural uneven terrain of their locations). From 1860 to 1870 the Open was played exclusively at Prestwick Golf Club . Since 1872 it has been played at a number of courses in rotation. Initially the three courses were Prestwick, St. Andrews , and Musselburgh, all located in Scotland.

The nine courses in the current rotation are the Old Course at St. Andrews; Carnoustie Golf Links in Carnoustie, Scotland; Muirfield in Gullane, Scotland; the Ailsa Course at the Westin Turnberry Resort, outside Girvan, Scotland; Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland; Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England; Royal Birkdale Golf Club in Southport , England; Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lytham St. Annes, England; and Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, England. A Hole in One The Open is a unique event and is of great importance to professionals and amateur golfers alike, as well as to fans of golf. Unlike the play of other majors—which are typically contested in sunny locales in the United States—the outcome of the Open is often influenced by the weather. On a links course, morning and afternoon tee times can produce vastly different playing conditions, depending on the breeze that comes in off the sea. The weather is just one of the many unique features of the Open that combine with its long history and prestigious reputation to make it an event unparalleled in golf.

This author, who experienced a warm reception from his home crowd when he finished second to Tiger Woods at St. Andrews in 2005, looks forward to competing in the Open every year. To him, the Open is pure romance and theatre, and it truly is a special event that every golfer dreams of winning. Zach Johnson takes his place in history with Masters, British Open wins FacebookEmail Twitter Google+ LinkedIn Pinterest Zach Johnson takes his place in history with Masters, British Open wins Zach Johnson, who won the Masters in 2007, joins Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo as the only players to win the Masters and a British Open on the Old Course. Post to Facebook Zach Johnson takes his place in history with Masters, British Open wins Zach Johnson, who won the Masters in 2007, joins Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo as the only players to win the Masters and a British Open on the Old Course. Check out this story on USATODAY.com: CancelSend A link has been sent to your friend's email address. Posted!

A link has been posted to your Facebook feed. 9 To find out more about Facebook commenting please read the Conversation Guidelines and FAQs Zach Johnson takes his place in history with Masters, British Open wins Steve DiMeglio , USA TODAY Sports 3:01 a.m. EDT July 21, 2015 x Share USA TODAY Sports' Christine Brennan breaks down Zach Johnson's dramatic playoff win in the 2015 British Open at Royal St Andrews in Scotland. USA TODAY Sports Zach Johnson celebrates with the Claret Jug after winning the 144th British Open in a playoff. (Photo: Ian Rutherford, USA TODAY Sports) ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Zach Johnson's not too big, not too strong, not the most talented guy in the room. But he has plenty of grit and guts and he works and he works, on the golf course and in the gym. He's also one of the best putters on the planet. Not too bad with a wedge in his hands, either. And the man who says he's just an ordinary guy out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, now has a Claret Jug to go with a green jacket.

Johnson made birdie from 28 feet on the 72nd hole to polish off a 66 on the Old Course in the Auld Grey Toun on Monday and earn a spot in a three-man, four-hole playoff in the oldest championship in golf. He then promptly birdied the first two holes — both from 15 feet — and defeated Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen to win the 144th British Open . Johnson, who began the championship with a sterling 6-under-par 66 in the worst conditions on Thursday, finished regulation at 15 under. He stood off the 18th green as Oosthuizen, who won the Open here in 2010, struck a 10-footer for birdie that would have forced sudden death. The putt lipped out. Zach Johnson fights back tears in emotional interview after winning the British Open Thus Johnson, who won the Masters in 2007 in frigid cold on a rock-hard Augusta National, joins Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods, Sam Snead, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo as the only players to win the Masters and a British Open on the Old Course.

That's some pretty good company indeed. "I'm grateful, I'm humbled, I'm thankful," said Johnson, who won his 12th PGA Tour title and moved to No. 12 in the world. "I'm honored. This is the birthplace of the game, and that jug means so much in sports, specifically this tournament and golf." <!--iframe--> It was a week of patience, perseverance, trust and bravery as this Open was forced to go to a Monday finish for only the second time since 1860 due to torrential rains and gale-forced winds. But Johnson was the last man standing before the imposing Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews that looms over the first tee, surviving some of the biggest names and games in golf, including Jordan Spieth, Jason Day, Adam Scott, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose. This is the moment Jordan Spieth's hopes for a grand slam came to an end Johnson is a man of faith who cited Scripture written in his yardage book all week long. He's a devoted husband and father of three (Will is 8; Wyatt, 5; and Abby Jane, 2). He likes to say he lives a simple life in St.

Simons Island, Ga., where he goes to high school football games on Friday nights and soccer games on Saturday. He is who he is and doesn't try to be anything he's not — on and off the course. "I feel like God gave me the ability to play a game. I try to take it very seriously. I realize it's just a game," said Johnson, who made sure to thank his team around him, including his wife, Kim, and trusted sidekick, caddie Damon Green. " ... But this isn't going to define me or my career, at least I hope it doesn't. It's not my legacy. Granted, as a professional athlete and as a golfer I'm going to relish this. I'm going to savor this. I'm humbled by this.

But my legacy should be my kids, my family." He's 39 with a bald spot but said as he's aged he's come to enjoy practicing more and working out in the gym "even if it doesn't look like it." Jordan Spieth says he won't let British Open, end of Grand Slam haunt him This week on the ancient Old Course softened by weeks of rain, Johnson was tested even more as the longest hitters had a huge advantage. At almost 5-11 and "be generous, I'm 165," Johnson knows he can't bang with the big boys on Tour. While tempted to take more aggressive — and dangerous — lines with his tee shots, he stuck to his strengths: patience, accuracy off the tee, a superb wedge game and an envied putter. He made eight birdies in the last round — most set up by his wedges — and made huge pars on the inward nine that muscles up as it goes back toward town and into the wind. He remained true to his talents and stuck to his game plan. Sports psychologist Moe Pickens works with Johnson and said one of his main strengths is his mind game.

Pickens said the last time he saw Johnson make a mental mistake on the golf course was in the 2007 U.S. Open at Oakmont, where he used 3-wood far too often instead of driver and ended up further back in the rough as a result. In other words, he played too safe instead of relying on his straight driving abilities. Legendary British Open starter fights backs tears during final announcement Pickens also said Johnson's temperament is key. "The more you play these majors, the better you get," Pickens said. "He doesn't get too high on the golf course. And he doesn't get too low." And Johnson certainly won't get a big head. He knows what he did on a magical Monday in the rain, in the winds, on a place they call the Old Course. But come Tuesday, he's back to being Zach Johnson.

"I'm just a guy from Iowa," he said, "who lives in southeast Georgia who has a green jacket and something that not most guys don't have to drink out of right now." PHOTOS: Final round of the British Open The Open Championship - Golf Topics - ESPN The Open Championship Results The British Open, or The Open Championship, operated by the R & A, is the third of four major tournaments of professional golf's calendar year. First contested in 1860 at Prestwick Golf Club in Scotland, the British Open is played at one of a number of selected links courses throughout Great Britain. Golf's oldest major annually features one of the strongest fields of participants in the sport, who traditionally encounter tough weather conditions and difficult bunkers on coastal courses. Each year's field of golfers also includes those who qualify through regional events within Great Britain along with international qualifiers. The first British Open dates all the way back to 1860, when Willie Park won the inaugural edition played at Prestwick Golf Club in Ayrshire, Scotland, to capture the Challenge Belt, made of leather and featuring a silver buckle and emblems.

While Scotsman Park would go on to win again in 1863 and 1866, Old Tom Morris won the tournament in four of the first eight years. Just 10 years after The Open Championship was started, Young Tom Morris won for the third consecutive time at Prestwick in 1870 and became the permanent owner of the belt. Following a year without The Open Championship in 1871, the competition resumed the following year. An agreement was reached between three clubs that were going to host the tournament -- Prestwick, the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers (at the Musselburgh course) and The Royal and Ancient Golf Club at St. Andrews, known as the "Home of Golf." It was decided that the winner would receive a medal and that each of the three clubs would contribute towards the cost of a new trophy, which was a silver claret jug. With the courses rotating hosting duties in the following years, other golfers dominated with impressive streaks -- Jamie Anderson won three straight from 1877 to 1879, while Bob Ferguson captured three in a row from 1880 to 1882.

(It would take a long time before the British Open saw that kind of dominance again. The next person to win three in a row was Peter Thomson, from 1954 to 1956.) When the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers moved from the Musselburgh course to Muirfield in 1891, the championship venue also moved. One of the oldest golf clubs in the world, and the source of the earliest written rules of golf (dating to 1744), Muirfield first hosted the British Open in 1892, when the event was extended from 36 to 72 holes. Harold Hilton, one of only three amateurs to have lifted the Claret Jug, topped the field that year. In 1894, the Open Championship was held outside Scotland for the first time at Royal St. George's Golf Club in Kent, England. And while Scottish professionals continued to dominate the event, the rise in players entered year after year led to a cut being introduced after two rounds of the tournament by the end of that decade.

Harry Vardon won three times during the 1890s and went on the capture three more by 1914, when original site Prestwick hosted for its second to last time. His six victories are the most by any golfer in British Open history. The Open Championship was not played from 1915 to 1919, due to World War I, but was revived in the 1920s as American golfers began to make their mark in the tournament. Walter Hagen claimed the trophy four times during the decade and the legendary Bobby Jones won three times as an amateur between 1926 and 1930. A number of additional links courses were introduced into the tournament's hosting rotation during that period, including Royal Lytham and St. Annes, Royal Troon and Carnoustie Golf Links, where Englishman Henry Cotton won his second British Open in 1937. Following another stretch of years without the tournament -- from 1940 to 1945 because of World War II -- the British Open resumed play in 1946 at the famed St. Andrews, which would go on to host a record 28 times.

Australian Peter Thomsen and South African Bobby Locke dominated the early post-war years at the Open Championship, with each winning four times in the ten tournaments between 1949 and 1958. The Claret Jug was won the following year by another South African, Gary Player, one of professional golf's "Big Three" who took the sport to new heights of popularity during the 1960s. Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus each captured the British Open two times each by 1970, with both Nicklaus and Player winning one more time in the 1970s. Nicklaus -- who finished in the top five at the British Open 16 times -- almost garnered another title in 1977 but lost out to fellow American Tom Watson in one of the most dramatic duels in golf history. The two were paired together for the final two rounds at Turnberry and finished 10 strokes ahead of the field, with Watson shooting two straight 65s to edge the Golden Bear by one stroke. Watson captured five British Opens between 1975 and 1983, but there was only one American winner In the 11 years following his final victory.

European champions during that stretch included Spain's Seve Ballesteros, Englishman Nick Faldo and Sandy Lyle, who was the first Scottish winner in over 50 years. Greg Norman's victory in 1993 was among the dramatic and historic moments during the 1990s. He shot a 64 in the final round at Royal St. George's, producing the lowest final round score for an eventual champion. Two years later, John Daly earned an improbable win in a four-hole playoff after leader Constantino Rocca struggled on the 18th hole but nailed a 65-foot putt to send the tournament into extra holes. And in 1999, France's Jean Van de Velde took a three-stroke lead to the 72nd tee. But he botched several shots and finished with a triple-bogey that left him tied with Justin Leonard and Paul Lawrie, who prevailed in the playoff. Daly's win began another successful period for U.S. golfers at the British Open. Over a 15-year span from 1995 to 2009, Americans took home the Claret Jug 11 times.

That stretch included three wins by Tiger Woods, including the 2000 title when he shot below 69 in all four rounds to set a major championship record, finishing at -19. In 2007, Ireland's Padraig Harrington ended a seven-year drought without a European champion when he won the first of two consecutive titles. The Open Championship uses a rotation of nine venues to host the event -- St. Andrews, plus four more in Scotland and four in England. From 1987 through 2011, the hosting rotation followed a specific formula, in which England and Scotland alternated hosting years, with St. Andrews hosting every fifth year (years ending in 0 and 5). However, the rotation is being reversed beginning in 2012, meaning England will host the event in consecutive years. The current nine courses in the rotation are: Scotland - Old Course at St. Andrews (last hosted: 2010) - Carnoustie (last hosted: 2007) - Royal Troon (last hosted: 2004) England - Royal St.

George's (last hosted: 2011) - Royal Birkdale (last hosted: 2008) - Royal Lytham & St. Annes (last hosted: 2001) - Royal Liverpool (last hosted: 2006) Royal St. George's Royal St. George's Golf Club is an 18-hole links golf course located in Sandwich, Kent, England, and one of the sites used in rotation to host the British Open (The Open Championship). Designed by Dr. Laidlaw Purves and Ramsey Hunter, Royal St. George's Golf Club was the first venue outside of Scotland to host the British Open, in 1894, just seven years after the club was first formed. The course covers a series of hills near Sandwich Bay, with dunes, bunkers and the wind presenting challenges to golfers. Royal St. George's Golf Club has hosted 13 British Opens, the most recent coming in 2003, when American Ben Curtis, a PGA Tour rookie competing in his first major championship, outlasted the favorites in the field to win the Claret Jug. Other Open winners at Royal St.

George's include Harry Vardon, Walter Hagen, Henry Cotton and Bobby Locke. The prestigious course in Kent will host the 2011 British Open. It has been lengthened by 100 yards for the event, yet par for the Open course is being reduced from 71 to 70 as its notable fourth hole -- which features a huge bunker -- is being changed from a 497-yard par 5 to a 495-yard par 4. Four other holes will increase in length for the 2011 tournament, which will be the 14th Open contested at Royal St. George's Golf Club. Year-by-Year Open Championship Winners Jack Nicklaus wins third British Open | Golf.com Photo: Peter Robinson This article first appeared in the July 24, 1978, issue of Sports Illustrated. As long as a man has to go for a walk on a golf course, there is hardly a better place than straight up the last fairway at St. Andrews, where one is surrounded by 500 years of history and embraced by the buildings of the old town itself. It is especially wonderful if you do it the way Jack Nicklaus does.

Nicklaus made the walk again last week with 30,000 warmly sentimental Scots creating enough noise to have drowned out the roar of a squall howling in off the North Sea. The scene, in fact, would have made a nice Christmas card for Jack to send out this year. After all of the crazy things that had gone on for four rounds, involving golfers from a grand assortment of nations, it came down to Nicklaus winning another British Open, another major championship. For those who are counting, it was his third British Open and major victory No. 17, which can now be filed away with the others: the five Masters, the four National PGAs, the three U.S. Opens and the two U.S. Amateurs. Not many of those victories could have been sweeter than this one, however, for Nicklaus is 38. He had gone nearly three years without winning a big one, and many of his fellow pros were starting to question whether he might ever win another. It seemed possible that Jack had reached a stage in his career where he could no longer produce the clutch shot in a major tournament or sink the critical putt.

Last year, for example, Nicklaus stood on the 71st tee tied for the lead in three different major championships  the Masters, the British Open and the PGA  and lost all of them. In last Saturday's final round at St. Andrews, Jack stood on the 70th tee and found himself staring rather unbelievingly at a chap named Simon Owen. This was one of the most important sporting' events in the world, and Simon Owen of New Zealand was suddenly leading it by one stroke over Jack Nicklaus with only three holes to play. It was precisely at this moment that Jack Nicklaus became the Jack Nicklaus of his previous years, and Simon Owen became the Simon Owen whose last accomplishment as a pro golfer was winning the 36-hole Skol-Lager individual title in 1976 at an event mostly familiar to the Scottish waiters and chambermaids at Gleneagles, where it was played. All sorts of near immortals had been in contention for this British Open, including a group of talented Americans led by Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw, each of whom shared the lead at one time or another.

But in the last round Watson faded sadly and Crenshaw stumbled, and it was Owen, of all people, who hung around to annoy Nicklaus. Now, after chipping in for a birdie from 25 yards away on the 15th hole, Owen was in the lead and Nicklaus was thinking that maybe the gods were going to deal him another disappointment despite the splendid golf he had played throughout the tournament. There on the 16th tee, Jack thought of Turnberry last year when Tom Watson had rolled in a birdie from across the 15th green, which was the blow that sent him toward defeat in their memorable duel. "I've been here before," Nicklaus said to himself. Owen hadn't. And that probably was what accounted for his second shot on the 16th, which he hit clean over the green, putting himself in a place where the best he could hope for was a bogey 5. For his second shot, Nicklaus struck one of those nine-irons of his that seem to be inhaled by the flagstick. It got to about six feet from the pin. The situation was obvious.

If Jack could make one of those putts he had been missing earlier in the week, there would be a two-stroke swing on the scoreboard, and he would be the leader with the toughest hole known to mankind  the 17th at St. Andrews, the Road Hole  coming up to face the two of them. Who would you want at the Road Hole, Jack Nicklaus or Simon Owen? Nicklaus did, in fact, nail the birdie putt at the 16th. drilling the ball into the heart of the cup. Just like the old days. It was the putt he needed at the time he needed it. No one, then, was much surprised that on the terrible 17th Simon Owen  27, unknown, inexperienced and surely overwhelmed by the thousands gazing at him  would hit a bad drive and dump his second shot onto the road at the Road Hole. You can make almost any kind of score on the 17th.

a 461-yard par-4 that bends in a dogleg to the right and has what the Scots call a "gathering bunker" left of the green, not to mention a green set as tight to the road as a hitchhiker. If Nicklaus was the hero of the championship, the Road Hole was certainly the villain. Over and over, it provided drama of the kind that pleases those who enjoy horror movies. It embarrassed almost everyone, and some it slaughtered, wringing bogeys, double bogeys and even worse from its victims. The hole took Severiano Ballesteros out of the tournament. It chilled Arnold Palmer with two 7s just when he was in the process of taking everyone on a sentimental journey. It hammered a little fellow named Tsuneyuki Nakajima with a 9 in Friday's third round  incredibly, after he had reached the green safely in 2. That unfortunate bit of business hurtled Nakajima into a tie for 17th at the end; with a par there instead of the 9, Nakajima would have wound up tied for second place with Owen and three Americans who could not quite solve all St.

Andrews' subtleties  Ben Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd and Tom Kite. Crenshaw, who finished with a fury  three birdies on the last four holes  was the only player who actually conquered the Road Hole. Yet, though he played it with three pars and a birdie, he still did not win the tournament, a fact that might go down as one of the curiosities of the year. But after playing superbly most of the week, he lost his shot at the tournament with a double bogey on the 4th hole of the final 18. There was too much ground to make up after that, what with Nicklaus playing so well and Owen doing all manner of extraordinary things, such as registering a third-round 67. But then Owen botched up the 16th and 17th, and it was time for Nicklaus finally to play the Road Hole well. He had bogeyed it three rounds in a row'. This time Jack smashed a three-wood off the tee into the middle of the fairway, safely away from the Old Course Hotel on his right, a god-awful structure that sits where the railway sheds once were.

Then he hit a safe six-iron into the front swale of the green where he would rely on his ability to get down in two putts from 50 feet. His lag putt up and over the varying undulations on the green was a thing of beauty, and it came to rest a foot from the cup. For all practical purposes, that was the championship. All Nicklaus had to do afterward was make a tidy 4 on the last hole, which was only a drive and run-up with a trailing wind, and then enjoy the stroll up the fairway toward the Royal and Ancient clubhouse, past the intersection of Links and Grannie Clark's Wynd and by the towering grandstands that make it seem as if a golfer is competing in a football stadium. Actually, a change in the wind on the last day at St. Andrews gave Nicklaus an advantage over the other serious contenders, because he had won there in 1970 when the course played exactly as it did last Saturday and as it had not played in the previous rounds. For three days, the golfers had the wind with them going out and against them coming in from the 12th tee.

Consequently, everyone would assault the Old Course early and then struggle to survive coming home. When another Japanese, Isao Aoki, led the first day with a 68 despite his putting style  nose of the club up, hands held improbably low  it was said to have been because the course was benign, and what did an Oriental know about it, anyway? Possibly it was because the wind stayed the same for the next two rounds that Aoki remained tied for the lead with Crenshaw and Ballesteros after 36 holes. Tom Watson and Peter Oosterhuis took command after 54 holes with a one-stroke lead on Nicklaus and Aoki and no more than a three-stroke lead on a total of eight other golfers. If Aoki could still be close, if Crenshaw could cope with his errant tee shots, if Oosterhuis, with his erratic driving, could do the same, then the course must be playing rather oddly. Nicklaus didn't really need a shift in the wind to feel he would do well on the final round. From tee to green his game had been in better shape all week than it had for any major championship in quite a while.

He began tamely enough with rounds of 71 and 72, which left him only one under par and four shots off the pace. but he blamed that on his putting, and he knew some putts had to drop eventually. As a matter of fact, he two-putted every single green during Thursday's second-round 72, which tells a lot about how he was playing otherwise. It was a three-under 69 on the third day that finally got him into the fight, and it was during dinner the night before the last 18 that he decided he was going to play very well the next day. He got up from his fried haddock to change his departure plans from Saturday night to Sunday morning. More time to celebrate, right? If there was a key moment for Nicklaus early in the last round, it was when he was able to gouge the ball out of the trash on the 4th hole with a seven-iron, then hit a wedge out of more garbage onto the green and save his par. Otherwise, it was a case of waiting for a birdie putt to drop. One had back on the 3rd, another would at the 12th.

neither of them from any great distance. And then he would get the killer at the 16th. In an effort to account for his victory, Nicklaus said. "Experience counts at St. Andrews." Indeed, it is said that there are three British Opens: the one played in Scotland, the one played in England and the one played at St. Andrews. How true that is. And if Jack himself did not have the words to describe what St. Andrews means, maybe Crenshaw did. At the presentation ceremony, it was Ben who said to the Scots, "I want to thank nature for making this golf course." That got almost as big a roar as Nicklaus' stroll. Both were a glory to the game last week. More From the Web Jordan Spieth: Will He Be Stopped After Masters and U.S. Open Wins? | Bleacher Report Jordan Spieth: Will He Be Stopped After Masters and U.S. Open Wins? Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more stories Stuart Franklin/Getty Images Jordan Spieth spends time with fans at British Open. 1.1K 1 Comment We know that only six golfers won the Masters and the U.S. Open in the same year.

One of them is Jordan Spieth. Ben Hogan did it twice, in 1951 and 1953. But in 1951, Hogan didn't enter the British Open. In 1953, he followed up his first two majors with a third, the British Open. He is still the only person in golf history to have won those three events in the same year. If you believe many, Spieth has a decent chance to win three in a row, adding the British Open to his Masters and U.S. Open victories. However, many don't know a lot about golf history and may not know the difference between tea time and a tee time. Tiger Woods , Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Craig Wood also won the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. None were able to carry the momentum of those first two majors to victory at the British Open. Their bids for the Grand Slam ended in Great Britain. What happened to stop them? Craig Wood won 21 professional events including two majors, the Masters and the U.S. Open, in 1941. He had the bad fortune to win those two tournaments during World War II, causing the suspension of the British Open.

Wood was second at the British Open eight years earlier, losing to Denny Shute at St. Andrews in 1933. Wood and Greg Norman share the distinction of being the only two golfers who lost the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship in playoffs. In 1951, when Hogan won both the Masters and the U.S. Open, he did not compete in the British Open. Hogan stopped Hogan. Max Faulkner won the British Open that year, which was played at Royal Portrush. In 1953, Hogan dominated, winning three in a row. He defeated Ed " Porky" Oliver at the Masters, Sam Snead at the U.S. Open and four golfers including five-time British Open champ Peter Thomson, with his victory at Carnoustie. Arnold Palmer won the Masters and U.S. Open in 1960. He decided to enter the British Open, which was not a tournament many U.S. players participated in at the time. On the flight over the Atlantic, Palmer asked sportswriter Bob Drum what it would be called if he were to win the British Open and the PGA to back up his first two majors of the year.

Drum said it would be the equal of Bobby Jones' Grand Slam. That was the birth of the modern Grand Slam. Unfortunately, Palmer lost the British Open to Australian Kel Nagle. The next two years, 1961 and 1962, Palmer won the British Open. Uncredited/Associated Press/Associated Press/Associated Press Lee Trevino won the 1972 British Open. Jack Nicklaus, for all his titles and major championships, had a chance to go 3-for-3 in Grand Slam majors just one time: 1972. After beating Bruce Crampton, Bobby Mitchell and Tom Weiskopf at the Masters, Nicklaus topped Crampton at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. Then it was on to the British Open at Muirfield where he had won in 1966. Unfortunately, Nicklaus was defeated there by Lee Trevino. In his illustrious career, Nicklaus had five seasons when he won two majors. He never won three in a season. Anonymous/Associated Press/Associated Press Nicklaus won the U.S. Open in 1972.

Tiger Woods had a similar experience to Jack Nicklaus in 1972 when he came to Muirfield for the British Open in 2002. After winning the Masters, defeating Retief Goosen by three shots, and the U.S. Open, beating Phil Mickelson by three at Bethpage Black, Woods headed to Scotland for the British Open. There, he caught the worst weather that many competitors had seen in their careers. At the end of the third round, he signed for an 81. On Sunday, Ernie Els, who admitted he benefited by not having the bad side of the draw based on weather, triumphed. Now, Spieth is ready to take his shot at history. It's been 62 years since Hogan won three majors in a row. Spieth already defeated Mickelson and Justin Rose at the Masters and Dustin Johnson and Louis Oosthuizen at the U.S. Open. In a pairing that only a wicked villain could create, he plays the first two rounds with Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama. Spieth's tee time is 9:33 a.m. on Thursday.

According to Ducks Unlimited and Sir Nick Faldo in several comments on CBS, the wind picks up when the tide turns. Low tide in St. Andrews is 9:05 a.m. that day, and high tide is 3:16 p.m. You can do your own forecasting at an Accuweather site for St. Andrews. Kathy Bissell is a Golf Writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand or from official interview materials from the PGA Tour, USGA, R&A or PGA of America. Jack Nicklaus - Golf Topics - ESPN Jack Nicklaus Personal Jack Nicklaus is a retired American professional golfer and one of the sport's most prolific champions of all-time. Nicknamed "The Golden Bear," Nicklaus has won more major championships than any golfer in history (18), and is 2nd all-time in PGA TOUR victories with 73. Only Sam Snead (82) has more in the history of the PGA TOUR. Nicklaus is widely regarded as the best golfer of his era, and one of the greatest golfers of all-time. Nicklaus' 18 career major championships is the most heralded record in golf.

Nicklaus won the Masters 6 times (most all-time), the U.S. Open 4 times (tied for most all-time), the Open Championship 3 times, and the PGA Championship 5 times (tied for most all-time). Nicklaus' Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are the only 2 men in history to have won each of golf's 4 major championships 3 times each. Nicklaus has been named "Golfer of the Century" or "Golfer of the Millennium" by almost every major golf publication in the world. He was also named Individual Male Athlete of the Century by Sports Illustrated, and one of the 10 Greatest Athletes of the Century by ESPN. Nicklaus has also been honored with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest honor given to any civilian. Nicklaus is a five-time winner of the PGA Player of the Year Award, has been the PGA Tour's leading money-winner eight times and runner-up six times. He has played on six Ryder Cup teams, captained two other Ryder Cup teams, and served as U.S. captain for the 1998, 2003, 2005, and 2007 Presidents Cup teams.

He is also one of the pre-eminent golf course designers in the world. The son of a pharmacist, Jack William Nicklaus was born January 21, 1940 in Columbus, Ohio. He was raised in the suburb of Upper Arlington, and went to Upper Arlington High School. At age 10, Nicklaus carded a 51 in the first nine holes he played. That year, he also won the Scioto Club Juvenile Trophy. He would win it a second time the following year. At age 12, he won the Ohio State Junior Championship, launching a streak of 5 straight wins from 1952 through 1956. When Nicklaus was 13, he played in his first national tournament, the U.S.G.A. Junior Championship for ages 17 and under, winning his first 3 matches before being eliminated. That year, he also won the Columbus Junior Match-Play Championship. At 14, Nicklaus won the Columbus Junior Championship in both the stroke play and match play competitions. He would win that again the following year, as well as qualifying for the U.S. Amateur for the first time.

He was defeated in the first round, 1-down. At 16, he won the Ohio State Open - easily the victor with a 2-round final day posting of 64 and 72. That year, he won his 5th straight Ohio State Junior title, and the Ohio Jaycees, but lost the U.S. National Jaycees Championship in a playoff. Amateur Career When Nicklaus was 17, he won his first national title, capturing the U.S. National Jaycees Championship. He also qualified for his first U.S. Open, missing the cut. At 18, Nicklaus won the Trans-Mississippi Championship, and qualified for the U.S. Open again. This time, Jack made the cut and finished tied for 41st place. Nicklaus also played in his first PGA TOUR event, the Rubber City Open at Firestone in Akron, Ohio. Jack was 1 shot back of the lead after 36 holes after opening rounds of 67 and 66. He finished tied for 15th in the event. Nicklaus won his first career U.S.

Amateur at age 19, defeating Charles Coe, 1-up, in the 36-hole final at Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. He also played on the winning Walker Cup team against Britain in Muirfield, Scotland, and won the North-South and Trans-Mississippi championships. Nicklaus also reached the quarterfinal at the British Amateur that year. Nicklaus' biggest early breakthrough in his young career came at the 1960 U.S. Open at Cherry Hills, where he established an amateur record by shooting a 282. Jack finished as the runner-up to Arnold Palmer by 2 strokes. He also emerged as the individual winner in the World Amateur Team Championship by 13 strokes with 269, eclipsing Ben Hogan's record by 18 shots. In his final year as an amateur, Jack won the U.S. Amateur for the 2nd time, defeating Dudley Wysong, 8 and 6, at Pebble Beach. He was also a member of the winning Walker Cup team, the Western Amateur Champion, an NCAA and Big Ten Champion, and finished tied for 4th at the 1961 U.S. Open.

In 8 major championship appearances as an amateur, Nicklaus made the cut 5 times, including each of his last 4 starts. He was merely warming up for the epic display he put on throughout his legendary career. PGA Tour Career Jack Nicklaus joined the PGA Tour as a regular in 1962. His first professional event was the Los Angeles Open, where he finished tied for 50th and won $33.33. That year, he also won his first PGA Tour event, defeating Arnold Palmer in a Monday playoff at Oakmont for the 1962 U.S. Open. This sparked the beginning of the Palmer-Nicklaus rivalry, which would grow into one of the best rivalries in American sports history. Nicklaus won 3 times in all his rookie year (also in Seattle and Portland), and was named PGA Tour rookie of the year. Nicklaus finished 3rd on the money list as a rookie. The next year, Nicklaus won his first of 6 Masters titles, as well as his first PGA Championship. He won 5 times in all that year, posted 17 top-10's in 24 starts, and finished 2nd on the money list.

In 1964, Nicklaus finished 1st in money and scoring average on Tour, and finished runner-up or tied for 2nd in 3 of the 4 majors (U.S. Open - T-23rd). In '65, his five victories included his 2nd Masters win, where he shot a record number of 271, breaking Ben Hogan's mark by 3 strokes. That number stood until Tiger Woods shot a 270 in 1997. He led the PGA Tour in both money and scoring average for the 2nd straight year. In 1966, Nicklaus became the first ever consecutive Masters champion. That year, he also won his first British Open title, which was the only major he had yet to win at that point. At the time, that made him the youngest player (age 26) to win all four major championships (since bested by Tiger Woods, who was 24 when he completed it). Nicklaus became the 4th golfer all-time to complete the career "Grand Slam", joining Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan and Gary Player .

In 1967, Nicklaus won his 2nd U.S. Open, besting Palmer by 4 shots. The two were tied for 2nd, one shot off the lead entering the final round. Nicklaus did not win another major until the 1970 British Open, which he did so shortly after his father Charlie Nicklaus died. One of the most memorable images of Nicklaus is him throwing his putter into the air in elation after sinking the winning putt on the final green at St. Andrews. With his victory at the 1971 PGA Championship, Nicklaus became the first player to ever win all four major championships twice in a career. The following year, Nicklaus' 4th green jacket and 3rd U.S. Open title generated buzz as the possibility of a season grand slam arose. Nicklaus would finish runner-up to Lee Trevino at the British that year, though, and Gary Player went on to win the PGA Championship. Nicklaus' U.S. Open win was his 13th as a professional, tying Bobby Jones for most major titles all-time (though a different set of Tournaments were considered majors during Jones' era).

He went on to win the PGA Player of the Year award for a 2nd time that year, and also took over the all-time Tour earnings lead. In 1973, Nicklaus made golf history by capturing his 14th major championship, winning the PGA for the 4th time. He won 7 times that year, and finished in the top-10 16 times in 18 events. He also did not finish worse than tied for 4th in any of the majors, and posted the lowest scoring average of his professional career (69.81). He also became the first player to win $300K in consecutive years, and the first player to ever pass the $2M mark in career earnings. Nicklaus continued to add to his legacy for the remainder of the decade. In 1974, he was one of the inaugural inductees into the World Golf Hall of Fame. In 1975, he won 2 majors in 1 year for the 4th time in his career, taking the Masters and PGA Championship.

In 1976, he picked up his 5th PGA Player of the Year award, breaking Ben Hogan's record of 4. The next year, he passed the $3M mark in earnings for his career, further extending his record. He also won his 63rd career Tour event, passing Ben Hogan to take 2nd place all-time behind only Sam Snead . In 1977, he went without a major, but his performance in the British Open that year made headlines around the world. In a one-on-one battle dubbed the "Duel in the Sun," Nicklaus shot 65-66 in the final 2 rounds, only to be outdone by Tom Watson , who fired a pair of 65's. He was named Sports Illustrated's Sportsman of the Year in 1978, winning his 3rd career British Open. For his incredible run in the 1970's, he was then named "Athlete of the Decade" in a poll of 432 sports journalists. He added 2 more majors in 1980: the U.S. Open and PGA Championship, giving him an astonishing 17 for his career.

From 1981-85, Nicklaus would win just twice on the Tour, and went without a major victory. In 1986 though, Nicklaus woke up the echoes at Augusta with one of the most remarkable performances in sports history. The Golden Bear posted a 30 on the back-9 to shoot a 7-under 65 for his round. He then watched the leaders falter, and won his record 6th green jacket by 1 stroke. At age 46, he still holds the record as the oldest player to ever win a the Masters. The victory was to be his last on the PGA Tour. Champions Tour In early 1990, Nicklaus became eligible for the Senior PGA Tour (since renamed the Champions Tour). He won his first event on the Tour, The Tradition, which was also a major championship. Nicklaus would go on to win The Tradition 4 times. Nicklaus won 10 Champions Tour events overall, including 5 of the 9 events he started in '90 and '91. His final victory on the Senior Tour came at the 1996 Tradition.

Nicklaus continued to play on the Champions Tour into the 2000s while also making infrequent appearances on the PGA Tour, primarily at majors and the Memorial. He retired from competitive golf in 2005. Nicklaus is one of the world's most prominent course designers, and has developed an immense course-building business. Nicklaus has been involved in the design of close to 270 courses open for play worldwide, and his thriving business, Nicklaus Design, has more than 335 courses open for play around the world. Nicklaus Design courses are represented in 32 countries, 39 states, and at least 87 have hosted a combined total more than 600 professional tournaments or significant national amateur championships. At least 60 Nicklaus Design courses have appeared in various national and international Top-100 lists. The firm currently has projects under construction or under development in 45 different countries - 25 in which Nicklaus Design has never been involved. Jack Nicklaus was born on Jan. 21, 1940 in Columbus, Ohio. He married his wife, Barbara, before turning pro.

They have five children - Jack Jr., Steven, Nancy, Gary and Michael. Gary Nicklaus played on the PGA Tour from 1992-2004. Nicklaus also has 21 grandchildren, including Nick O'Leary, a top high school football recruit. In addition to his work with his course design company, Nicklaus and his wife Barbara are involved in multiple charitable causes, including the Nicklaus Children's Heath Care Foundation and The First Tee program. In 1999, Nicklaus underwent a hip replacement surgery, but returned to the course less than four months later. In 2010, he was hospitalized for an intestinal infection stemming from a case of diverticulitis. Nicklaus did not need surgery, but was forced to miss a charity event. JACK NICKLAUS QUICK FACTS

Question: Which golfer won the Masters Tournament and the British Open in 1966?
Answer: Jack Nicklaus